The female Lophophorus has been living on nothing for at least a week; its voice is various, sometimes not unlike that of a large hawk, at others a cackle, or low chuckle; occasionally it runs forward, erecting its crest, and spreading out its tail like a fan, the tail being depressed.  I fancy it roosts in trees not unlike certain pigeons, Haematornis one species come in, this genus I think represents Parus:  it has the same fluttering clinging habits, it often sallies forth like Merops after insects, the genus is remarkable for the yellow or red colour of the under tail-covers, it is a noisy bird, and not wary until so taught by experience.  I doubt its power of singing.  The so called Bulbul, hazari dastar, the famous songster, is not a real bulbul, but either Alaudina or a stonechat.

With Haematornis has appeared a fine Merops, of which I have not yet got a specimen; its habits were quite those of Merops, and it made the same noise:  it occurred with Haematornis.

Chugur is a large extent of ruins, traces of paths are visible leading to the houses, mere huts built of slabs of slate.  There is one square part remaining much like the base of one of the topes to which it assimilates; the building, is of slabs of wood and stone, intervening.  What could have induced the Mussulmans to build on such horridly hard barren and hot places, with no water near? or did they occupy places taken from the Kafirs.  The latter I should think most likely from the names, which are evidently Kafir.

20th.—­The bird alluded to yesterday, was again seen to-day.  I remember shooting the same species at elevations of 8,000 feet in Bootan, in oak forests.  It has the habits of Merops, with its voice or chirp, and is very gregarious, so that one part of the flock will not separate from the rest.  It perches in a very erect manner making swoops and sallies after insects precisely as Merops.  Plumage sombre, general colour slaty, quills and crest blackish, bill and feet orange, tail forked.

Is this bird of the sub-family Brachypodinae, or is it a Fissirostral bird; the wings, although graduated as to the two first quills (the first being half spurious) are still long, and may be called pointed.  It obviously has much analogy? with the Drongo shrikes in habits, and in forked tail:  as well as in lengthened body?  Both it and Haematornes are very local, none being found here but just around a village called Pillipote, a favourite station—­Zaitoon trees, or naked Bakkeins.  Haematornis I have seen feeding on the ground, this species has the same voice as that of the genus generally.

The yellowish Bunting-like water-wagtail, is very common just now:  it occurs in wheat fields; flight, chirp, and mode of getting up when disturbed just as in the Buntings.

Weather very unsettled, heavy rain and thunder last night, and now threatening a gale.